PSG suffered their first defeat of the Ligue 1 season at Lyon on Sunday night but they are a different proposition in Paris

By Adam White and Eric Devin for Get French Football News

PSG’s visit to Lyon on Sunday night wasn’t just about PSG and Lyon. For both sides, this free-wheeling encounter foreshadowed their knockout ties in the Champions League. Lyon’s youthful and exuberant forward line gave PSG an idea of the threat they will face against Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s rejuvenated Manchester United next week; and PSG’s superior quality, ability to dominate possession and fluid attacking quartet gave Lyon an opportunity to test themselves against a force and a style comparable to Barcelona. Worryingly for Ernesto Valverde and an infuriated Thomas Tuchel, exuberance won out.

Recent meetings between France’s top sides – when played outside of Paris – have been dramatic. Neymar’s dismissal in Le Classique, Monaco’s 6-1 mauling of Marseille and Memphis Depay’s later winner and the ensuing tunnel brawl have punctuated the seasons with pivotal plot points. Lyon in particular have developed a knack of bloodying Parisian noses at Parc OL. Sunday night was no different.

Related: PSG suffer first league defeat of season after Lyon produce shock

Just made it in time Lyon v PSG ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XRxb16wp6k

Ligue 1 results

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Sean Dyche cannot wait for VAR, Higuaín and Hazard lift Sarri and the Pogba-Rashford combo looks good for United

Sergio Agüero’s hat-trick, scored from a collective distance of 10 yards, was not achieved by accident but thanks to his instincts and endurance. At times City looked sloppy against Arsenal but Agüero made the difference, repeatedly finding himself in the crucial position to jab the ball home with any available limb. All of City’s attacking midfielders know where the Argentinian wants to be once they break into the area and Agüero’s improved fitness under Pep Guardiola helps him get there. Superior fitness was one of the things that made the difference as Arsenal wilted while Agüero and City thrived. The striker is definitely working harder under the Catalan than his predecessors and his increased stamina is bringing rewards. He will need every last ounce of energy for the rest of the season as he is still irreplaceable. Will Unwin

Related: The Dozen: this weekend's best Premier League photos

Monday 4 February

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Our picture editors round up their favourite images from the weekend’s matches

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Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance with a fine goal to secure a 1-0 win over Leicester City and maintain Ole Gunnar Solskjær's dream start as interim manager. 

The victory moved United onto 48 points, two adrift of Chelsea in fourth place. Solskjaer's side have dropped points only once under him - a 2-2 draw with Burnley - and are now firmly aiming for the top-four spot that would give them Champions League football next season. 

• Marcus Rashford pounces early as Manchester United edge past Leicester
  

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The Ole Gunnar Solskjær bandwagon rolls on. For the first time since the days when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge – back in the 2012-13 season – Manchester United have racked up five successive away victories, the latest arriving courtesy of a player who has looked reborn ever since the Norwegian took over at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford has now scored six times in 10 games under Solskjær and this was a fitting way for the 21-year-old to mark his 100th Premier League appearance. The fact that Ryan Giggs is the only United player to have reached that landmark at a younger age – there are only 20 days in it – says much about Rashford’s impact at the club since he burst onto the scene as a teenager.

Related: Why transfer window was subdued – despite Mike Ashley splurge | David Conn

Related: Liverpool unlikely to freeze in their quest for Manchester City’s title | Barney Ronay

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• All the latest from the 2.05pm kick-off at the King Power Stadium
• Ole Gunnar Solskjær fires long-lost lust for late drama
• Feel free to email Nick | or tweet @NickAmes82

3.30pm GMT

67 min: Now Sanchez takes his leave, after 67 minutes of not a lot, and Martial replaces him. That may help United exploit space in this last quarter.

3.28pm GMT

65 min: It’s been an almost-good game so far. Lots of little flickers but no consistent excitement since that early goal.

3.26pm GMT

63 min: Leicester apply some more pressure, but Ndidi puts that to an end with a wild slash wide from 25+ yards.

3.25pm GMT

62 min: Maddison goes off, and on comes Ghezzal. It’s fair to say the home faithful don’t like that a lot; it’s fair, too, to suggest Maddison doesn’t seem to either.

3.24pm GMT

61 min: Now this could be a chance for Leicester. Matic checks Vardy 25 yards out, and it’s a centrally-situated free-kick. Good position, and Maddison steps up ... it pings up off the wall and Vardy, reacting quickest, snaps an acrobatic volley towards goal. De Gea manages to save it at the second attempt, just grabbing it before it can spin over the line!

3.22pm GMT

59 min: A slick United move involving Sanchez and Shaw ends with Rashford drilling wide. Off the ball, Mendy drags Pogba down as he looks to dart into the box. It’s not spotted by the officials but Mendy, already booked, would surely be off if it was.

3.19pm GMT

57 min: United seem, for now, to have got to grips with Leicester’s earlier fire and brimstone. They are controlling the ball for the moment and there isn’t a whole lot going on.

3.17pm GMT

54 min: Pogba is hurt after a hefty Evans challenge. He’s clasping his lower right leg and waving his arms about. Up he gets, eventually, hobbling a tad.

3.15pm GMT

52 min: You’d fancy United will get space on the counter in this half. I do wonder how much longer Sanchez will last; he’s done very little out there today.

3.13pm GMT

50 min: Barnes, lively since the break, stands a brilliant delivery up from that left byline and Lindelof has to defend well. It leads to Leicester’s latest corner, which comes to nought.

3.10pm GMT

47 min: And then, on the other side, Maddison makes ground into the box and drills into the side netting. Really quick start from Puel’s team!

3.09pm GMT

46 min: They certainly start well, Barnes flashing a cross-shot past goal from a very tight angle on the left.

3.09pm GMT

Can Leicester turn this around?

3.06pm GMT

“I noticed a lot of birds on the pitch today, presumably pigeons pecking around for reseeded grass, or maybe looking for the leftover Walkers crisps of the groundsman’s lunch break?” observes Justin Kavanagh. “Strange they’d risk it given there are 23 men running around the field (11 of them foxes, supposedly, although Mendy has been playing like a scarecrow so far).”

Fair point, particularly on a weekend that has shown us no football pitch is safe from prowling cats.

2.55pm GMT

Woolie Madden writes in:

“In a city with a large South Asian population, it’s heartening to see Hamza Choudhury is part of Leicester’s matchday squad. Considering how popular football is with young British Asians, clubs should be doing so much more both in terms of welcoming more Asian fans as spectators are their ground and also developing players into professionals. The other issue is a general lack of role models, as there are just so few British Asian players in general. Hopefully Choudhury makes a success of it at Leicester so that can change, at least.”

2.54pm GMT

The half finishes with flurries at both ends, but United end it with the lead. It owed to sloppy play by Ricardo and some sublime football from Pogba – the pass – and Rashford – the control and finish – to cap the away side’s early dominance. They haven’t quite built on it, and Leicester have come back into the game without creating a whole lot, so we still have a real game on our hands here. Back in a bit!

2.51pm GMT

45+1 min: As we enter three minutes of added time, Leicester lose the ball in their own half and Rashford tries to punish them for a second time, slashing in a shot that Schmeichel saves low to his right.

2.49pm GMT

45 min: Now Mendy is booked for a slightly naughty one on Herrera. It’s got a bit scrappy, this.

2.48pm GMT

43 min: Maddison’s delivery from that free-kick is poor, but so is the defending and Barnes is allowed to size up a first-time effort from more than 25 yards. It’s no danger to anyone, though.

2.47pm GMT

42 min: Ricardo tears barnstormingly into the United half and Matic takes a yellow, throwing an arm across him. Leicester definitely don’t look out of this.

2.45pm GMT

40 min: Young makes a threatening burst towards the box but overcooks his final pass for Lingard in a great position.

2.43pm GMT

38 min: And another left-sided corner for Leicester ... it swings in and this time the challenge is won by Evans ahead of Bailly. He heads wide and, having made contact, might have done better.

2.42pm GMT

37 min: United seem fairly content to allow Leicester possession now, if anything. Probably the best ploy: Leicester have struggled under Puel when offered a lot of the ball. They do get a corner though, from which Maguire wins a header but is penalised for a foul on Matic.

2.39pm GMT

34 min: Leicester press well and hound United out of possession in their own half. It’s been sporadic from them though, pressing like that. I can’t totally work out how they are approaching this.

2.37pm GMT

32 min: Late challenge – very much a “striker’s challenge” – from Vardy out on the left touchline near halfway, scything Lindelof down. It’s a clear booking, one he takes with little argument.

2.35pm GMT

31 min: United put together their first move for a little while, Pogba dictating it, and it ends with a deflected Lingard shot looping through to Schmeichel.

2.32pm GMT

28 min: Then Gray cuts in from the left and fires one towards goal. De Gea dives but Bailly gets there first, and bravely, taking quite a whack to the head in repelling the ball. He will continue but still looks dazed, and this is the kind of situation that needs taking care with.

2.30pm GMT

26 min: Maddison gets a shot away 25 yards out but it’s straight at De Gea. Leicester win possession back from the goal kick and Ricardo aims a cross just over Vardy’s head. Bailly defends it just in case. Better from the home side.

2.29pm GMT

25 min: A lull, at present. United aren’t quite fizzing around Leicester as they were earlier on. But they do still have the lead.

2.27pm GMT

22 min: Maguire tries to get Leicester going with an uncharacteristic burst down the left, cut off by Lingard. Leicester are showing a few signs of life, their full-backs both firing crosses into the box in the moments after.

2.24pm GMT

20 min: Lingard is deservedly shown a yellow card by Mike Dean for ankle-tapping Maddison as he attempts to counter.

2.23pm GMT

19 min: Abhijato Sensarma writes – “If this United side pulls off the miracle of having a top four finish, do you think it will be logical to proceed with Solskjaer for the next season at the very least? I mean he’s not a superstar, but he’s brought back the attacking flair in the team, and may be the man in the shadows whom Manchester United has searched for ever since Sir Alex’s retirement.”

I think it would be logical. If it’s working, why rip it up?

2.22pm GMT

17 min: Rashford needs a bit of treatment but looks OK. Which is good for United as he has been a real livewire so far and took that goal superbly, forgetting about his earlier miss.

2.21pm GMT

15 min: Maddison has a sight of goal after a fortunate ricochet, but Shaw is back superbly to send his shot spinning behind for a corner. Excellent defending. Vardy wins the header at the near post as the set piece comes in, but it’s high and wide.

2.17pm GMT

12 min: United come again and Maguire blocks Lingard’s attempt to crown a tricky run with a shot on goal. They look full of confidence.

2.15pm GMT

This time he doesn’t miss. Ricardo concedes possession to Pogba with an absolutely terrible attempt to play from the back, but there’s still a lot to do. The weighting of Pogba’s pass over the top for Rashford is absolutely sublime and now, clean through and with time to give Schmeichel the eyes, he makes no mistake. He drills into the corner emphatically and it had been coming.

2.12pm GMT

7 min: Maguire gives away a silly free-kick in a good right-sided position, needlessly clattering into Rashford, who was going nowhere. Chilwell heads clear but United keep the pressure on and Lindelof, driving the ball back across, wins a corner. That’s drilled in low and Schmeichel has to save sharply at his near post from Rashford. It’s a brisk start from United.

2.10pm GMT

4 min: Big chance for Rashford! Shaw sizes up an absolutely delicious cross to the far post and Rashford, running off Maguire and completely alone, somehow directs his header over. That should be 1-0 to United, no question.

2.08pm GMT

3 min: Bailly, recalled to the side today, hoiks an *awful* attempt at a backpass out of play for a corner. Ndidi heads the delivery well wide; De Gea was stranded so, had it been on target, there’d have been big trouble.

2.06pm GMT

1 min: Sanchez, playing on the left of the attack, has an early go at Ricardo but there’s nothing doing.

2.05pm GMT

United, kicking right to left and clothed traditionally, kick us off.

2.01pm GMT

The teams are emerging at the King Power. We’ll kick off in a few minutes. On paper, these two XIs should give us a very decent game ...

1.54pm GMT

That start for Alexis Sanchez is his first in the league under Solskjaer. It means Romelu Lukaku drops to the bench. Can Solskjaer recapture Sanchez’s old zip? My suspicion is nobody can: he is 30, has played at a ferocious tempo for years, often year-round too, and simply can’t keep it going at that pace anymore. It is no slight on him.

1.48pm GMT

Harry Maguire is talking on Sky and is asked about United’s summer interest in him. He flat-bats it adroitly and answers a different question. Decent finish by him at Anfield, by the way, wasn’t it? Kyle Walker, for one, approved.

1.35pm GMT

Fancy a rollicking pre-match read? Here is Daniel Taylor’s weekly column, this time about Leeds:

Related: Leeds’ stumble doesn’t diminish potential of club or Bielsa’s team | Daniel Taylor

1.28pm GMT

“Can United go fourth if they win today?” asks Matthew Bullock.

Afraid not, Matthew – they’d be two points shy of incumbents Chelsea but would leapfrog fifth-placed Arsenal, at least until their game with Man City later.

1.20pm GMT

I’m a big fan of Harvey Barnes, and it was great to see him score at Wolves a couple of weeks ago. His form on loan at West Brom meant it was something of a no-brainer to bring him back for the rest of the season but it does go to show that expensive, chancy signings from elsewhere aren’t always as good an answer as developing your own.

1.12pm GMT

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Mendy, Gray, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy. Subs: Ward, Fuchs, Morgan, Choudhury, Ghezzal, Okazaki, Iheanacho.

Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Sanchez. Subs: Romero, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Martial, Lukaku.

10.13am GMT

Manchester United’s charge for the top four continues, then, and the fact that it sounds a remotely exciting prospect to their supporters says plenty about the situation Ole Gunnar Solskjaer inherited and the work he has done since. He oversaw his first minor wobble in midweek, really, with that draw against Burnley – but even then United came from two down at the death so there is enough happening to suggest the spirit of the old days is osmosising (is “osmosising” a word? from dugout through to pitch.

How easy will Leicester make it for them today? It’s exceptionally hard to tell because Leicester appear to fold limply one week and then pull out all the stops the next. Claude Puel remains under intense scrutiny but this is the kind of fixture they’ve tended to pull out a result in – see Manchester City (h) on Boxing Day and Liverpool (a) a mere four days ago. Their inconsistency is typical of the Premier League’s wider mid-table morass although Leicester do, at their best, have more about them than most of the division’s ballast. Will they show it today?

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A win at Leicester would help United’s claim to a top-four place and they are rediscovering old habits under the Norwegian

Manchester United’s impressive run of victories may have come to an end, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjær merely a very successful caretaker manager rather than a record‑breaking one, though the Premier League table as well as the last result suggests the club are back in the late drama business.

The season has been rescued and, with a couple more wins likely to take United back into top-four contention, supporters are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the campaign pans out, which was emphatically not the case before the change of manager.

Related: The transfer window is a circus – one that is laughing right back at you | Barney Ronay

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Most Premier League clubs sticking with their squads as Newcastle finally spend may be a matter of individual circumstances rather than a new trend

The headline nobody expected at the start of this or any other transfer window finally wrote itself as January ended with a cold snap: Newcastle spend big on a player. In a Premier League window otherwise dominated by an eerie spending freeze, Mike Ashley appeared to blink first in his icy stand-off with Rafael Benítez and sanction that club-record £21m outlay for the MLS midfielder Miguel Almirón.

While Benítez has been far from shy in expressing his frustrations with the tightness of the purse strings at St James’ Park, Ashley’s motivations are more baffling to decipher, an exercise in Kremlinology or Sports Direct-ology.

Related: Transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared in January

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This is the sort of game Leicester will probably relish. They have beaten Chelsea and Manchester City at home and drawn away at Liverpool in the last six weeks. United, who have fitness concerns in relation to Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, hope to win five successive away games in all competitions for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. Youri Tielemans, who has joined on loan from Monaco, could make his Leicester debut. Marcus Rashford is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance. Stuart James

Sunday 2.05pm Sky Sports Premier League

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Gonzalo Higuaín and Miguel Almirón among main signings as clubs tinkered with squads rather than overhauling them

“We need wingers. Wingers,” Unai Emery said on Tuesday night, and it was interesting to note the plural. The Arsenal manager added Denis Suárez, who he says can be one solution – even if he is not perhaps an out-and-out winger – but he saw moves fail for Ivan Perisic, Yannick Carrasco and Christopher Nkunku. David Hytner

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Related: Callum Hudson-Odoi transfer request signals growing European trend | Eni Aluko

Related: Chelsea's Brooks bothers and title rivals letting it slip – Football Weekly Extra

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• Manchester United manager feels Martial can join elite
• Solskjær points to development Ronaldo made at club

Ole Gunnar Solskjær believes Anthony Martial can follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s example and elevate himself to become one of the world’s best players.

Martial signed a fresh five-year deal with Manchester United on Thursday and the caretaker manager is confident that the forward can join the elite if he wishes.

Related: Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

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